Preservation of Long-Term Temporary Records Digital...

Office of Legacy Management (LM)

Preservation of Long-Term Temporary Records

Digital Conversion of X-Ray Film

Jeanie Gueretta, CRM

April 2012

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LM Mission

To fulfill the Department’s post-closure responsibilities and ensure the future protection of human health and the environment

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LM Goals

Goal 1 – Protect human

health and the environment

Goal 2 – Preserve, protect,

and share records and

information

Goal 3 – Meet commitments to the contractor work force

Goal 4 – Optimize the use of land and assets

Goal 5 – Sustain management excellence

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LM Records Management Responsibilities

As sites are identified for mission closure, remediated, and transferred into LM’s authority, associated records and information are preserved and managed

Managing records for 90 sites

• 110,000 cubic feet of records

• Stored at LM Business Center and Federal Records Centers

LM Business Center, Morgantown, West Virginia

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Challenges in Managing Inherited Records Collections

Limited records descriptions and indexes

Limited knowledge of records collection contents

Discovery of additional records after site transition

Preservation of fragile media

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Preserving X-Ray Film

Medical x-rays have long-term records retention

Epidemiological records freeze

• Records must be preserved and cannot be destroyed even if retention period is met

• Records needed to support medical compensation claims

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LM X-Ray Records

Some x-ray film showing signs of decay known as “vinegar syndrome”

LM managing over 400,000 x-ray film records

Most older x-rays were created on a cellulose acetate media base

• Cellulose acetate, first introduced in 1948, was considered a marked advance over earlier cellulose nitrate film because of lower flammability

• Poor chemical stability was not recognized at the time, but it has since become a major threat for collections due to spontaneous chemical decay1

1James M. Reilly and Jean-Louis Bigourdan, “Effectiveness of Storage Conditions in Controlling the Vinegar Syndrome: Preservation Strategies for Acetate Base Motion-Picture Film Collections” (Image Permanence Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA, 2000).

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Vinegar Syndrome Effects

Vinegar syndrome damage can render film unreadable

Signs of affected film2:

• Forms “waves” so that film will not lie flat

• Film base become acidic, brittle, and shrinks

• Emulsion cracks so that the image appears fragmented and may flake

• Acetic acid creates a harsh, vinegar odor

Deterioration may place otherwise stable materials at risk when exposed to off-gassing vapors from nearby degrading film.

2National Archives of Australia, “How do I protect and handle motion picture film?” (Australian Government, Records Management)

Film damaged by

vinegar syndrome

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Mitigation for Vinegar Syndrome

Cold storage will slow down deterioration process

Environmental controls

• 40° Fahrenheit

• 30 percent relative humidity

Decaying film should be segregated

• Vinegar syndrome affects “healthy” film

Cold Storage Trailer –

Grand Junction, Colorado

Cold Storage Vault –

Morgantown, West Virginia

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LM Digitizing Project

Conversion of x-ray film to digital images

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format

• Global information technology standard

• Legally accepted format

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Managing Electronic Images Stored and retrieved through LM Electronic

Recordkeeping System

Records Disposition

• DOE Administrative Schedule 20: Electronic Records

• ADM 20.3 – Electronic Records that Replace Temporary Hard Copy Records (GRS 20, Item 3)

Item a, Scanned Images – Delete after the expiration of the retention period authorized for the hard copy records

• ADM 20.2 – Input/Source Records (GRS 20, Item 2)

Item 2a(4) – Destroy hard copy documents after information has been converted to an electronic medium and verified

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Image is captured “as is” for long-term preservation

Electronic

DICOM Image

Deteriorated

Film

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LM X-Ray Digitizing Process Video

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Questions?

Contact Information:

Jeanie Gueretta (970) 248-7634

jeanie.gueretta@lm.doe.gov

Karen Hatch (304) 413-0826

karen.hatch@lm.doe.gov

Visit the LM website www.lm.doe.gov